Sources of the Making of the West, Volume II: Since 1340: Peoples and Cultures

Great book, I found it very helpful even though there were areas in which the authors did become a bit long winded.

This little text is a good accompaniment to the main book, "Making of the West". Here, Lualdi takes the student in a tour of excerpts from original source documents. Translated where necessary from other languages. So you can see a lengthy essay written on the eve of the French Revolution. Asking, "What is the Third Estate?" This Estate was the impotent assembly that represented the French people, as contrasted to the other Estates that drew from the aristocracy. The essay neatly encapsulates the rising demands of the majority of the people; suggesting why the Revolution occurred. The book has many other examples. All fitting to give depth to your appreciation of modern history.